Safety First
by BlueDragonIsAwesome
Summary: Maka and Soul seem to like each other, but after a while, she seems to have feelings for Kid, who's had a crush on her for a long time. He's constantly trying to protect her, while Soul is getting jealous at how close they become.
1. The Beginning

**(Author's Notes****: This is my first Fanfic on this website, so I hope you enjoy it... Read and review so I know if I should continue the story and what I should change. Thanks in advance~)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Soul Eater or any of the characters.  
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><p><span>Safety First<span>

"Oi! Maka, it's your turn to make breakfast!" Soul shouted loudly while walking into her room without knocking. "MAKA-CHOP!" Maka hit him with a thick dictionary, "Don't come into my room while I'm changing Soul!" she scolded although she was already fully dressed. "There's nothing to see! Where'd you get that dictionary?" Soul was stroking the spot of impact trying to get rid of the pain. "I got it so I could use it whenever I needed to," Maka said deviously. "I don't like where this is going. So not cool," Soul stated while leaving the room. _That's just like Soul,_ Maka thought as she grabbed her materials needed at the DWMA. "Let's get going Soul!" she yelled to him while walking towards the door. "What about breakfast?" he complained. "We're skipping it, come on!" She grasped his hand and ran out the door towards the school. "So uncool…"

The DWMA seemed normal as Maka and Soul approached it, but noticed the Thompson sisters along with a downcast Kid. "What's wrong with him?" Soul asked as he and Maka reached their friends. "He's having another meltdown about his hair," Liz sighed. "Hehe, Kiddo's having a meltdown~," Patty sang while clapping her hands. "Come on Kid, it's not that bad," Liz attempted. "No! No! I'm worthless garbage! I'm a sad excuse of a shinigami!" Kid fussed as Soul groaned. "Hey, Kid. What's wrong?" Maka crouched down in front of him. "My hair is asymmetrical garbage, I shouldn't exist!" Kid responded loudly. "I don't think so," Maka said positively, "It looks nice!" "B-But it's asymmetrical!" He whined. Maka then hit him with the dictionary she used on Soul earlier, but much gentler. He looked up at her with wide eyes clearly shocked that she hit him.

"M-Maka," Soul stuttered surprised that she actually hit him. They both had similar interests and Kid didn't do anything to get Maka-chopped, so it was the first time. "Kid, Liz likes your hair, Patty likes your hair, Soul likes your hair, _I _like your hair," she said with finality, "Okay? I don't care if it's symmetrical or not." After he registered what she said, he blushed a bit. "You like my hair?" Kid asked forgetting about it's' symmetry for the moment. Soul clenched his teeth as he verbalized, "So uncool." "Uh, yeah," Maka said uncomfortably while subconsciously scratching her face. Embarrassed, Kid struggled to regain his composure as he stood up. "Sorry about that," he apologized. "It's okay." Maka answered while smiling. She then took a step toward the school as Kid unexpectedly spoke, "Wait, Maka." She turned around and looked at him with interest. "Here," he handed her a pocket-sized mirror. She looked at it obviously puzzled. Kid then said, "You can call me with this easily. It's the same as Chichiue's number, but on this mirror it'll come to me." He smiled contentedly to her. "Thanks!" Maka showed her gratitude as Soul pulled her towards the school, "See ya later," he said; acting cool. "We'll be in soon!" Liz assured.

Class started with no sign of Black*Star, Tsubaki, the Thompson sisters, or Kid. "Where do you think they went?" Maka asked her partner. "I don't know. Maybe skipping?" Soul replied. "Tsubaki? Skipping? I don't—"Maka began as a blade went past her and Soul's heads. "No talking in class, I won't miss next time," Stein smirked while continuing, "As most of you have noticed, Black*Star, Tsubaki, Kid, and the Thompson sisters aren't present." The rest of the students looked at him expectantly after he suddenly stopped. "They went on a mission to investigate the Kishin!" Stein said happily. "Why weren't Soul and I assigned to the mission?" Maka asked angrily. "You'd have to ask Shinigami-sama about it. He was the one that assigned it," Stein responded before carrying on, "Dissection time!" Stein cheerfully took out an endangered type of dog and put it on his desk. Everyone verbally groaned and complained.

After class, Maka pulled Soul along. "Where are we going?" he asked, confused. "To see Shinigami-sama! I want to know why we weren't assigned to that mission," she answered, visibly irritated. After walking through the pillars and into his room, Shinigami-sama said loudly, "What's Up~?" "Why weren't Soul and I assigned to the mission you let Kid and Black*Star go on, Shinigami-sama?" Maka asked, getting right to the point. "That mission is very dangerous, Maka-chan. Someone requested that you stayed here," Shinigami-sama said seriously. "But we've been on a lot of dangerous missions!" Maka fumed. "I'm sorry; Maka-chan, but I can't disregard his concern." Shinigami-sama explained. Maka was about to further the argument, but Soul grabbed her arm and said, "Let's go, Maka. Thanks." Soul dragged Maka out of the room after nodding to Shinigami-sama.

"Maka, that wasn't cool," Soul said calmly. "I know, Soul," she responded, still upset. They were walking toward their apartment. "We can't get them all, you know." Soul attempted to cheer her up. "Who was it that didn't want us to go, anyway?" Maka asked her partner. "I don't know. You could call that shinigami, he might know. He _is _Shinigami-sama's son," he reasoned. "You're right Soul. I'll try that!" Maka said happily. "Of course I am," he answered arrogantly.

Once home, Maka went to her room and took out the mirror. After saying the chant; Maka's reflection started disappearing. It was replaced with a black-haired boy with three white stripes in his hair; Kid. It was night-time wherever he was, obviously since the moon was clearly visible, and it was possible to see a barren rocky background. "Hi, Maka," he smiled unexpectedly joyfully. "Hey, Kid. How's the mission going?" she asked. He sweat-dropped before responding uneasily, "It's going alright." "Do you know who asked Shinigami-sama to let me stay at the DWMA?" Maka asked directly. _Damn it, I can't lie to her, _Kid thought. "Yeah, I do," he uttered anxiously. "Who?" Maka asked, prying. "It was…me," he whispered quietly. "What? Why would you do that?" she inquired, evidently hurt. "Chichiue told me it was going to be dangerous, and I didn't want you to get hurt—"Kid rushed; not wanting to give her the wrong impression. "You don't trust me then…" "No! No, Maka, listen to—"Suddenly, she wasn't in the mirror anymore, saddening him greatly. She had hung up on him, and he wasn't sure if he could change her mind.


	2. The Danger Arises

**(Author's Notes: Thanks for all the nice reviews~ I was very inspired to continue on. By the way, it may seem more of a SoulxMaka fan fic but I assure you that this is just part of the plot, It'll be KidxMaka soon, I promise)**

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><p>"Maka…" Kid lamented. He was sitting on a rock fiddling with the personal mirror Maka had called him on. "Kid, are you okay?" Liz asked concerned; placing a hand on his shoulder. "OF COURSE HE IS," an arrogant boy shouted, "HE IS IN THE PRESENCE OF BLACK*STAR! AHAHA!" Black*Star yelled with one foot over a rock while triumphantly pointing upwards. "B-Black*Star," Tsubaki moved over to him attempting to control him. Despite Tsubaki's restraints, Black*Star refused to give up, "I AM STRONGER THAN GOD! AHAH—"Black*Star suddenly passed out on the ground as Tsubaki rushed to his side. "Huh?" Liz wondered what had just occurred and looked over at Kid. She noticed that Patti had transformed somewhere in the midst of Black*Star's ranting and that Kid had shot him with his soul wavelength. <em>So that's where Patti was,<em> Liz though. "Don't you think you went a bit far, Kid?" Liz inquired worriedly while Patti turned back into her human form, "Kiddo isn't very happy, is he?" Patti speculated.

"I'm not," Kid responded simply. "What happened?" Liz prompted. Kid sighed, "Maka found out that I told Chichiue to make her stay at home while we went on the mission. She called and confronted me about it…I couldn't lie to her and I don't know why she's so upset," he admitted shyly. "Are you stupid?" Liz solicited angrily. Patti, who had already lost interest in the subject, waddled off singing about giraffes while Tsubaki was still tending to Black*Star. "What?" Kid verbalized, surprised. "She desperately wants to be just like her mother! And you know what? Her mom kicked _ass_!" Liz shouted moving her arms in emphasis, "Not getting to go on a mission that her teammates were assigned is pretty damn irritating!" "But…I want her to be safe. The Kishin is involved in this mission," he reasoned. "Kid, if you try to protect her all the time she'll end up hating you," Liz protested. "I don't care if she hates me as long as she's alright!" Kid explained. "Alright Kid, do what you think is right," Liz walked away dismissingly. _I… As long as she's safe… I don't care… I don't care._

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><p>"Hey, Maka. What did the shinigami say?" Soul asked as Maka stormed out of her room. "He was the one that did it," she raged. <em>That shinigami? Is he trying to make a move on MY Maka? <em>"Tsk. That's not cool. We could've handled it," he answered with a hint of annoyance. "Yeah," Maka replied, "Wanna go anyway?" she smirked deceitfully. "Knowing you, you'd probably go without me. Even if it's Shinigami-sama's orders, it is the Kishin," Soul grinned showing his sharp teeth, "Let's do it." "Let's go," Maka said happily going down the stairs of the apartment building towards Soul's motorcycle. "This settles it, coolest partner ever," Soul then walked to the motorcycle as well.

"You knew they'd go against your orders, didn't you, Shinigami-sama?" Spirit inquired surprisingly mature-wise. "Mmm," Shinigami-sama replied while looking at his mirror at Maka and Soul riding away on the motorcycle. Suddenly, a Death Scythe named Marie charged into the room, "Shinigami-sama! It's Medusa!"

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><p>"OH, hey Tsubaki!" Black*Star said, "How long was I out?" Tsubaki responded, "Only an hour," she smiled, relieved that he was okay. "We need to continue the mission!" He quickly jumped up and stated loudly, "Oi! Where the<em> hell <em>are you Kid? Slacking off?" Tsubaki tapped him lightly on the shoulder to get his attention, then pointed to the side where Kid just so happened to be standing. "Bear with it, Kid," Liz ushered. Calming himself, Kid replied, "Let's keep going. We've already wasted enough time here." They started searching on foot for any signs of the Kishin, going on empty. Hours and hours went by before they decided to camp. Just as the campfire was set, Liz asked nervously, "Do you hear that?" "What do you hear sis~?" Patti sang. "It's like, a humming sound," she replied uneasily. "I hear it," Tsubaki said quietly. "Me too," Black*Star said calmly. Kid turned around, seeing a bright light heading straight for them, "That looks like a motorcycle." "A motorcycle? Who owns a motor-? Oh shit!" Liz cursed. Before anyone could respond, the vehicle came to a stop just before them, revealing the riders.

Kid gulped, "M-Maka?" "Ahaha, I knew you'd come. Couldn't stay away from my awesomeness," Black*Star gloated. "We couldn't have let you guys investigate the Kishin without us," Soul responded, looking directly at Kid as he spoke, "You know?" "Maka's here~ Maka's here~!" Patti danced around happily while Liz and Tsubaki watched, both of which at a loss of words. "Maka, you can't be here, it's dangerous!" Kid scolded. "I can take care of myself, Kid," Maka responded sternly. "Yeah shinigami, she's a lot tougher than you think," Soul said. _She isn't. I can tell just by looking at her soul that she's a lot more fragile than she lets on… _Unable to give in, Kid objected, "But Maka, you've got a really special soul." _Damn it! Stupid excuse! _"I'll be careful Kid, I promise!" She pumped a fist in the air as if to prove her point and then smiled jubilantly. "Extra careful, alright?" Kid insisted. "Of course!" Maka assured.

"So, what exactly is the mission?" Soul asked lazily. "We're supposed to search for the Kishin and if we find where he's hiding we tell Chichiue immediately," Kid explained, "And we will not engage him, no matter what the situation is." "That's right," Liz agreed. "That shouldn't be too tough; we've done harder missions together!" Maka exclaimed. "Yes, but the Kishin is involved Maka. Of course it's going to be dangerous," Tsubaki clarified. "Don't worry, I'm here to outshine any Kishin, I AM BLACK*STAR, AHAHA!" Black*Star bellowed loudly. Everyone looked at Black*Star oddly; the conversation abruptly ending. _He really is hopeless, _Maka thought.

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><p>"Did you say Medusa? The<em> witch<em> Medusa?" Spirit panicked. "Yes! She's been spotted on the outskirts of Death City a day ago!" Marie informed fearfully. "Hmm? What else do you know?" Shinigami-sama inquired. "It seems that she's targeted one of our top meisters here at the DWMA!" Marie frantically cried. "And?" Spirit supported her notification. "Witnesses suggest that she's after Maka!" She shouted noisily. "What? My Maka? Why?" Spirit was terrified. His only daughter was being pursued by a witch bent on destroying her! "Probably because she has the ability to defeat the Kishin!" "What do we do, Shinigami-sama?" Spirit asked desperately. "This is a bit of a problem. Medusa has probably already reached them, along with her henchmen," Shinigami-sama pondered, "Spirit, I want you to go with Stein to their location immediately," he ordered. "Yes sir!" Spirit ran out the door hurriedly toward Stein. "What should I do, Shinigami-sama?" Marie inquired. "Hmm, could you take Stein's place in teaching for a while~?" He asked, feigning happiness. "Of course!"

"Stein! Stein," Spirit cried, sprinting through the halls directly towards him. Stein reluctantly turned around to face Spirit as he lunged en route for his feet. "Stein! It's terrible! Maka's been—She's been targeted by Medusa," he sobbed while Stein revolved the screw on his head a few clicks, "Shinigami-sama wants us to go make sure they're okay right away!" "Well, let's go then. Unless you're in the mood for a dissection," he looked at Spirit malevolently. "N-No! Let's save my Maka," he replied miserably while sniffling. "This is exactly why she doesn't like spending time with you," Stein stifled a few chuckles.


	3. Hurt

**(Author's Notes: Sorry if the characters are a bit OOC... And if you haven't realized yet, I really don't like Black*Star. So sorry to any Black*Star fans reading this chapter. There will be a lot more KidXMaka next chapter; the events in this chapter were really necessary XD. Read and Review please; it inspires me to continue more than it looks ^.^)**

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><p>"Are you sure we're going in the right direction?" Maka asked tiredly. "Of course, my sense of direction is straight-on, AHAHA!" Black*Star wallowed. The group was still in a desert-like area, with a few rocks towering over them as they went by. The only things alive there were a few vultures, and a <em>lot <em>of cactuses. The sun stared down at them, seeming to be snickering at them as they dragged on. "Come on Maka, faster!" Soul commanded. Soul, Tsubaki, Patti, and Liz were in their weapon-forms for easier transportation. "I don't think we'll find anything in the desert," Maka said blankly. "There's got to be something, or we wouldn't have been given this mission," Kid elaborated, "Someone told the DWMA that they saw the Kishin out here." "I see," Maka responded. "Maka, Watch out!"Soul yelled to his partner. A sharply pointed arrow was coming straight for her back. Maka swiftly jumped forwards while twisting her body to face where the attack was coming from. Just as it was about to make contact, she swung Soul professionally; breaking the arrow into pieces.

At this point, Black*Star and Kid had turned around to face the assailants. There was Medusa, Eruka, the Mizune sisters, and Free in his wolf-like form charging straight toward them. Before any of them could react, the enemies had already engaged them in battle. Medusa was shooting arrows directed at Kid, Eruka and the Mizune sisters were jumping at Black*Star and Free was dashing to Maka. Kid rapidly jumped into the sky as he summoned Beelzebub to dodge the attack. Once landed safely, he hastily shot at Medusa; attempting to get her to let up on her assault. She easily dodged to the side; only briefly pausing in her attacks before continuing.

The Mizune sisters jumped on Black*Star; pinning him to the ground. As he was struggling to get up, Eruka joined the dog-pile too. Black*Star cursed while squirming around; trying to push the lot off of him. He then swung the Enchanted Sword-mode Tsubaki straight up into the sky, causing the ambushers to fling off. Eruka then threw a couple of her tadpole bombs at Black*Star as he was jumping to his feet. They made contact, causing a large amount of smoke to cover the area. Eruka smirked victoriously before being blasted backward by Black*Star's soul wavelength. As Eruka flew through the air the Mizune sisters jumped onto Black*Star again, attempting to restrain him.

Free threw his large fist at the ground Maka was standing on; trying to eliminate her balance. He was too slow, and Maka used Soul to propel herself into the air just before he had hit the earth. He grumbled in frustration, swinging his other arm at her. She swerved Soul in the direction of his upcoming limb, blocking the attack. She safely landed on the terrain before making a leap toward Free's now exposed face. Free quickly lifted his paw to block; leaving Soul wedged into his thick skin. Maka pulled with all of her might; causing Soul to shift slightly. "Hurry, Maka!" Soul worriedly ordered. Free would have none of it, and raised his opposite arm backward; making it into a fist. Just as Maka dislodged Soul from Free's dense fur, she was sent flying from the force of his bare knuckles. Unable to recover from the blow in time, she fell to the ground helplessly, Soul sliding far away. "Urgh," she groaned. Free made his way to her; seemingly satisfied with himself. "Ready for more, little girl?" he chuckled to himself before lifting his foot over her body. As his foot was hovering, he said to no one in particular, "I'm definitely going to enjoy this."

"Maka!" Black*Star shouted needlessly. The Mizune sisters were not letting up after their partner was launched. They kept pushing him back to the ground powerlessly. "Black*Star! Get a hold of yourself," Tsubaki advised. "I'm trying!" Black*Star responded loudly, throwing one of the mice-like witches away.

Upon hearing Black*Star yell Maka's name; Kid immediately looked over his shoulder to see her about to get stomped on. _Maka! _"You should pay attention to the person you're fighting," Medusa recommended. Kid shot a glare at her, "I don't have time for you! Soul resonance!" Kid quickly prepared for Execution Mode, as Liz and Patti gave the countdown. "Firing now~!" Patti sang. He aimed at Medusa, and before she could react she was already blown away. Kid then glanced over to see if Maka was okay. Free's foot wasn't in the air anymore; it seemed he had already stomped and was moving his foot to induce more pain. Maka screamed in agony before falling limp.

Kid flew on Beelzebub as fast as he could; directly at Free. As soon as it hit, Free flew off and away from Maka. Kid jumped off of Beelzebub; setting Patti and Liz on the ground and ran towards the comatose girl. He bent down with one arm supporting her back and used the other to gently pat her face. "Maka, are you okay? Maka, wake up," he willed in vain. He hesitantly laid his head on her chest to check for a heartbeat. It was faint, but there definitely was one. He sighed in relief as he heard a voice, "Don't think it's over!" Medusa intruded. Kid looked away from Maka to see Medusa and Free coming in for an attack. He started panicking because Patti and Liz were still where he left them. He knew he could easily dodge the two brutes, but he wasn't sure if he could carry Maka at the same time with them at such a close proximity. _Damn it! Why am I so weak?_ Kid cursed. Once they got closer, he braced himself for the blow; holding Maka to his chest. As the enemies came in for the attack, Stein swung Spirit into Free, causing him to lose his balance. Free fell over Medusa; limiting both of their movements.

Kid was still embracing Maka; unsure of why they hadn't been hit. "Retreat, we finished the job anyway," Medusa ordered while snickering. After Medusa said that Free ran alongside her as the Mizune sisters instantly withdrew while carrying Eruka. Kid looked up to see Spirit rushing to him. Spirit hastily threw Kid off of the girl and tried to see if she was okay. "My Maka!" he sobbed. "Move Spirit," Stein commanded as he leaned down to check on her. "Mhm, Mhm," he did a few quick tests and checks that he could do without any tools. Kid had already picked himself up and was watching Stein do his examination, "Is she going to be alright?" "I can't say for sure. She needs attention now," Stein replied while heaving a sigh. No one could tell Black*Star was there with how quiet he was being, just watching intently. Soul finally caught up with the group only to be struck with awe at what he saw. "M-Maka! I'm so sorry," he apologized unsuccessfully. Kid got on his knees to pick Maka up carefully. Soul was eyeing him with malice. Noticing that he was being glared at, Kid mumbled, "I can take her to Death City with Beelzebub." Before anyone could really refuse or approve of the gesture he had already summoned Beelzebub and was stepping onto it. Soul was about to stop him, but Black*Star put a hand on his shoulder; "Let him go."

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><p>Kid held Maka bridal-style as they flew through the sky. He looked down at her, noticing that there wasn't any blood at all. Despite that, he could tell she was broken all over, and probably suffering from internal bleeding. <em>Why am I so useless…I should've done something. I'm a shinigami, I should've taken care of Medusa quickly then went to aid her. I promised myself that I'd protect her…I'm such a liar, <em>Kid tightened his grip on Maka. _If she doesn't pull through…I'll never forgive myself._

After getting to Death City Kid ran as fast as he could to the DWMA. He raced through the halls pushing anyone who happened to be in the way. Everything else was a blur for him, and the next thing he knew he was in the Nurse's office. "Naigus! Maka's hurt!" he shouted pleadingly. She turned around, obviously surprised. Naigus recovered swiftly, "Bring her over here, quick." Kid gently placed her on the bed as Naigus started to perform tests similar to Stein's. She then put pressure on her rib-cage area. Maka's body recoiled in response to the gesture, wincing. "Be careful!" Kid demanded, noticing Maka's actions. "Maybe you should wait outside," she suggested underhandedly. "But—""I can't work on her with you in here Kid," she said directly. "Fine," he walked out of the office angrily then leaned against the wall outside of the room. _Maka...Please make it through._

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><p><strong>(More Author's Notes: Sorry that I made Black*Star and Eruka so weak. I figured this was a good place to stop. I still have a clear idea of how this story is going to go, so please bare with me on the boring beginning chapters. It will get better!)<br>**


	4. Developing New Feelings

**(Author's Notes: I hope this was a bit fluffy... I attempted, so I hope you like it... Sorry if this chapter is kinda short, I'll try to update soon to make up for it though~! BTW I don't really know how Naigus acts or anything so I'll do my best on that.)**

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><p>The day dragged on as Kid waited. With no word from Naigus, he couldn't bring himself to leave the DWMA. Just when he was starting to lose hope the door opened as the nurse stepped out. He whipped his head swiftly as he quickly stood up, "How is she?" Naigus looked over to him, surprised to see him still there. "She's stable, you can go see her, if you like," she smiled understandingly. "Yes, thank you," Kid responded while walking to where Maka was supposed to be. She seemed alright, sleeping peacefully under the covers. Kid warily lifted the blanket with both hands in an attempt to keep it symmetrical. Everywhere between her hips and her torso was covered in bandages; excluding her appendages. He took a seat next to the bed; feeling somewhat guilty for what happened.<p>

"All of her ribs were broken severely," Naigus spoke unexpectedly, "Really, what happened?" "I'm not quite sure, she was fighting Free while I was fighting Medusa," Kid replied, "And when I looked over he was stepping all over her, literally." "Hm... It's a good thing you got her here when you did, the broken bones were making it a bit difficult for her to breathe normally," Naigus answered. Kid didn't react, not really finding a point in responding to the comment. Deciding it was something he might've wanted to know, Naigus informed, "She should be conscious within 24 hours. And, she should be able to leave in about a month." "Thank you," Kid showed appreciation. Naigus then left the room, concluding that it was a good time to leave him alone.

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><p>"I gotta see her!" Soul shouted stubbornly. "No, Soul! You really can't!" Liz said just as obstinately. "Maka's strong. She'll be fine," Black*Star commented, "I know she'll be alright with a big star like me around!" he laughed thunderously. "Is that you, Naigus?" Stein wondered aloud, ignoring the teens. "Yeah," Naigus replied, walking down the stairs of the DWMA so she was closer to them. "Is Maka okay?" Spirit blurted. "She's just fine. You can see her later, she's resting right now," Naigus responded. Soul looked relieved, but anyone who paid attention could tell that he wanted to see her sooner; people like Patti. "Soul loves Maka~! Soul loves Maka~!" she sang so loudly that anyone up to ten miles could hear clearly. Embarrassed, Soul chased Patti trying to get her to shut up, while she ran away; yelling the same thing. Tsubaki, Liz, Stein, and Naigus all stifled giggles at the sight as Black*Star rolled on the ground laughing and Spirit looked at Soul angrily. <em>This may take a while, <em>Stein thought, amused.

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><p>Kid was looking at Maka still feeling culpable for the incident. Noticing that her bangs were asymmetrical he shifted over to fix them. He brushed them to the left; oh but now they went too far! He then moved them to the right again, but they were still off center! <em>Damn it! <em>He repositioned himself so he was sitting on the bed; with his legs hanging off a bit asymmetrically, without him knowing it. Focused on his mission, he leaned in closer to her face for a closer inspection. He then gently nudged her bangs to the side. _Almost perfect!_ Kid then just barely touched the bangs before feeling satisfied with himself. With all symmetry in order (to his knowledge) he then realized how close they were.

Maka looked completely harmless and tranquil lying there. And before he knew what he was doing, Kid had embraced her gently; making sure not to accidentally hurt her. "I'll try harder. I won't let you get injured like this again, I promise," he spoke softly, "Because I love you."

After a couple of minutes, he reluctantly pulled away and suspiciously investigated her face. No sign of consciousness whatsoever. _Must've imagined it._ He got up, deciding to take a walk to stretch his legs and clear his head. As he stepped out of the door, he heard a whimper that he didn't make. He turned around to see Maka with a pained expression; attempting to sit up. "Urgh, he certainly did a number on me," she said to herself. "Maka? You're awake?" Kid asked; a bit surprised to see her moving so soon. "Yeah," she responded. "You really shouldn't move too much! Free broke all of your ribs in that battle," Kid warned as he moved closer to the bed just in case she needed any help. "I should've used Witch Hunter at that time," she decided. Maka couldn't help but notice that Kid had been smiling the entire time, "What's so funny?" She asked, not rude at all; just interested.

"I'm just so happy that you're alright," he answered gladly, "At one point I thought you weren't going to make it." "Was it really that bad?" she wondered hesitantly. "Yes, your pulse almost stopped, I had to carry you on Beelzebub so you would be able to get taken care of fast enough," he replied. "You must've had a symmetry fit then," she concluded. "Oh no, It was quite alright! I was looking at the most beautiful thing in the world then," he gazed at her meaningfully. His stare was intense; causing her to blush a bit, "That's nice." _Why am I feeling this way around Kid? I like Soul… After what he said to me in that dream my heart won't stop beating. I mean, why would Shinigami-sama's son love someone like me? That's silly, but for some reason I can't help but believe it's true… _"Thanks for being here for me, Kid." Maka said gratefully, "I'll do my best to recover!" Kid smiled at this, "You're welcome, Maka."

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><p>After a long, tiring chase, Soul finally got Patti to be quiet by promising to take her to a zoo with giraffes. He mentally sighed at his lame tactic, <em>so uncool. <em>He decided that 'later' had passed and that now was a good time to see his partner. Stein and Spirit went to report to Shinigami-sama, Black*Star and Tsubaki went to go get some well deserved rest at their apartment while Liz and Patti decided to go to back to the mansion. Naigus continued on her walk to wherever it was she was going to in the first place as Soul walked down the corridors of the DWMA.

Once at the nurse's office, Soul pushed open the door without a second thought. "—For me, Kid. I'll do my best to recover!" Soul opened his eyes, perplexed to hear his meister's voice so soon. The first thing he noticed was that she was blushing. That was a big no-no on his terms. "You're welcome, Maka." _This shinigami, why is he still bothering himself in Maka's matters?_ He was starting to get angry at Kid but dismissed the feelings as uncool and decided to put a lid on them for the moment. "Oi, Maka," Soul said, walking in completely. "Hey, Soul!" Maka replied cheerfully. "Does that mean that everyone's here now?" Kid asked warily; thinking about Black*Star specifically. "Yeah, but they're not coming right now. Black*Star, Tsubaki, Liz, and Patti went to rest. Stein and Spirit went to talk to Shinigami-sama," he smiled his usual cool toothy grin. Kid emitted a sigh of relief; not wanting to deal with the fool. "Kid, do you mind if you leave me and my meister alone for a bit?" Soul attempted to sound cool. "That's fine. I needed to take a walk anyway, I'll talk to you later, Maka," he smiled charmingly.

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><p><strong>(More Author's Notes: I'm a failure... I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and I hope it was fluffy...? I've read fluff fanfics but I wasn't quite sure how to write it exactly, so any pointers would be cool. Anyway, it seems some feelings are starting to show for both Maka and Soul...) <strong>


	5. Symmetry Fits

**(Author's Notes: I hope there's more KidXMaka in this chapter than you thought, I tried my best to cut out the SoulXMaka (: Seriously, in the middle of writing this I wasn't sure what to put, so I hope it turned out okay!)  
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><p>"What do you wanna talk about, Soul?" Maka inquired curiously. "I'm sorry," Soul sat down next to the bed, "It's my fault." "What? You're my weapon Soul. You did your best, it's my fault," Maka explained, "I didn't do my best and this is my punishment." "I'm your weapon, I'm supposed to protect my meister," he argued. "Soul, I'm fine, see? It doesn't matter anymore. I'll recover," Maka replied. "It does matter! I should be the one protecting you! Not <em>him<em>!" Soul said angrily. "Why does it matter who saved me if I'm alright?" she reasoned. "Tch," unconvinced, he stood up, "Uncool. If you want anything, I'm sure the shinigami will get it for you." "I don't understand why you're so upset, Soul." He stopped at the door then said, "I don't even know myself." He started down the hall as Maka objected, "No, Soul! Don't—"She was trying to get up to go after him as her body protested. "Oww!"

Kid didn't get very far before he saw Soul walking away and asked, "Done already?" Soul didn't respond and just kept moving. _What's his problem? Did he leave Maka by herself? _As he was debating what might've gotten Soul upset he heard a pained shriek. _Maka? _He paced down the corridor and into the Nurse's office. "What're you doing?" She was trying to get up! What was she thinking? "Maka, you need to rest!" He went to her and gently pushed her back into the sheets. "No, Soul…!" "What did he do?" He asked sternly. "He just got so mad…! I need to find out why," she tried to get back up despite Kid's restraints. "No, you need to stay put; you promised that you would recover!" Kid reminded her. "Ow!" she ceased her retaliation and clutched the bandages around her middle.

"Are you alright?" Kid worriedly asked, "You can't get up in your condition!" he scolded. "I know," Maka said, sore. "You can ask him when he comes by again, or in a month if he doesn't come at all," he said dryly. Maka didn't respond after that. Everyone knew how much she hated feeling weak and incompetent. Kid was about to consult and comfort her, when he noticed that she wasn't symmetrical! Her hair was a mess, her bandages were lopsided, and her bed was terrible! "Kid…What're you doing?" He had bent down in front of her face and was fixing her hair roughly. "It'll only take a second," he responded, paying full attention to her hair. "Oh no…It's not symmetrical is it…But, you don't have to do it!" Maka said; backing away on her bed. "Maka, I will fix it…!" He approached again, but she just pulled back even more.

Kid then unexpectedly picked Maka up bridal-style. "K-Kid?" She blushed heavily. This wasn't an everyday occurrence, definitely not. He sat on the chair next to the bed, and then put Maka on his lap symmetrically, of course. She was directly facing him, and he was staring at her intensely. _It's like he can see right through me…! This is so embarrassing! _"Don't move, you might hurt yourself, or you might ruin the symmetry," he stated knowingly. Kid got to work on fixing the symmetry of his beloved as Maka was lost in her thoughts. _This is really uncomfortable... I'm blushing so much, I can feel it. Please hurry up, Kid… _

At one point, Kid had _almost _gotten the symmetry aligned but Maka had shifted a bit, causing her hair to sway. _Why can't she just stay still? Is it because she's on my lap? She is blushing quite a bit…, _Kid mentally smirked, _Somehow that makes me very happy. _Then, half an hour later from when they started, Kid was finally satisfied, "Beautiful symmetry…!" he said with emotion; making her blush more. Then, he gently set her on the chair as to not ruin her hair and went to work on the bed sheet's symmetry. She sat there patiently, too mortified to say anything.

"What else was lacking symmetry…?" Kid pondered as he just finished measuring the bed. He examined Maka as he was trying to figure out what it was. His eyes lay on her bandages, "There it is…" he pointed to her for effect. "My bandages? No, Kid you can't take these off," Maka clarified, "They're supporting my bones _and _if you took them off my hair would lose its' symmetry." Kid's jaw dropped. "Oh no…! You're right! This is terrible! I'm a sad excuse of a shinigami…I'm trash… Take me out to the curb on garbage day…!" He started to have a symmetry fit; ending up on the ground. "No, Kid! Look, you fixed my hair and the bed!" She tried to cheer him up. He looked up at her teary-eyed and replied, "No! No! I couldn't fix the bandages!"

"Why cry when there's a big star like me around?" Black*Star bragged. "Oh, Maka! Are you okay?" Tsubaki worriedly rushed in to check on her friend. "I'm fine, Tsubaki," Maka smiled reassuringly. "Kid, are you serious?" Liz tiredly sighed. Patti jumped in singing, like usual, "Ahaha, look at Kiddo!" "What is he crying about this time?" Liz asked Maka. "My bandages," she mumbled in return. Liz looked at her oddly, and then realized that they were uneven. "Ah, he'll get over it eventually." Kid's ranting and Tsubaki's constant hushing Black*Star could be heard in the background, everyone was talking cheerfully about things Maka couldn't quite make out. Somehow everything sounded blurry and unfinished, in a sense. "Did you see Soul?" she whispered quietly. Tsubaki looked away from Black*Star to look at her companion.

Things went silent for a moment, even Kid's tirade. It seemed everyone was trying to contemplate an answer that Maka would accept, even Black*Star. Tsubaki, seeming to be one of the closest to Maka, decided to tell her, "We didn't…" "I see…Thanks. If you guys don't mind, I think I should be getting some rest…!" she fake-smiled. Everyone knew that look too well; but decided not to pry. After all, she had to have something she didn't want them to know about if she faked reassurance. "Alright, sleep well Maka," Liz said, almost sadly. "Goodnight Maka," Tsubaki wished sweetly. Liz, Patti, Black*Star, and Tsubaki left the room as Kid remained on the floor. "Kid, I need to get to sleep," she stated considerately. "I can't trust you," Kid felt a mixture of emotions, but mostly anger toward Soul. "What?" He started to stand up, "I can't trust you by yourself," he repeated. Maka didn't know how to respond to that.

"You're upset," Kid stated; trying to keep his composure. "Why would I be upset?" She replied uneasily. "You're worried about Soul. You think you did something wrong, when in fact, you didn't." "I don't think you know what you're talking about, Kid," Maka answered nervously. Soul really could get to her, he was one of the only people she let in to see her for who she really was; not to mention one of the first. When she thought that he was upset, it really could affect her greatly. "I do, and I'm not going to leave until I am positive that you will sleep peacefully," he responded stubbornly.

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><p><strong>(More Author's Notes: Man, I hope this story is better than I think it is... *Sigh*I bet you were expecting a SoulXMaka chapter from where I left off before. But, I guess I surprised you?)<strong>

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	6. Comfort

**(Author's Notes: Sorry for the late update. School is annoying...Too many projects... Anyway, there's a lot of Kid and Maka in this one~ So, I'll try to update sooner this time. You can scold me if you want T~T )**

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><p>Maka looked at him oddly, "You're kidding," she stated, unable to think of a better response. "No," Kid took a step closer. She smiled and said, "I'm fine." He took another step, "Your voice is unsure and your soul is quivering," he verbalized. "You're looking at my soul?" She asked, sounding a bit angry at his persistence. "Of course," Kid replied, "You can't deny your feeling." She didn't say anything, so he prodded, "Look at my soul." "Why?" Maka wondered. "Just look."<p>

Maka then turned her soul perception on to glance at his soul. (A/N: Not sure how else to say this process) It looked different than usual. It seemed hurt, or rather, filled with what looked like irritation? It also appeared to be confused and longing something.

"Did you see?" Kid knocked her out of her thoughts. Quickly recovering, she said, "Why are you so mad?" Fuming, he responded, "Why wouldn't I be? Someone_ very_ close to me is being hurt by an asymmetrical _abomination_! I don't know why everyone else doesn't seem to care, but I am very _angry._ Angry with him, with how he treats you, and how much he can influence you!" Not letting up, he continued after getting a quick breath, "I don't know whether to beat him or to comfort you…" He calmed down, letting his bangs cover his eyes. Maka looked shocked at one of his rare outbursts. He was usually so tranquil and reserved.

Maka looked questioningly at Kid despite the fact that he wasn't looking back. She really had no idea what to do. Kid didn't say anything, still standing there. It seemed like he was waiting for her to say something, to either reassure him or scold him. Neither came. Kid suddenly felt a warm, timid embrace. He looked up to see that Maka was hugging him sincerely, also to keep herself from falling. He quickly wrapped his arms around her to make sure she wouldn't collapse. "Kid…Thank you," she whispered. He pulled her closer, _I'll treasure this moment forever. _They stood there for a while, comforting the other's feelings.

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><p>NEXT DAY…<p>

Maka woke up. She was lying in her bed normally. _What happened last night? Everyone left and I went to sleep? No…Kid stayed. I remember that he was upset because of Soul. I hugged him. Oh no… I must've fallen asleep then… He probably laid me on the bed and left… That's embarrassing… Did I really hug him? Why did I do that? _She felt something weighing down the sheets beside her arms. She glimpsed to her side to see Kid sitting on the chair; his arms on the bed. _I'm not going to leave until I am positive that you will sleep peacefully. _She blushed heavily, remembering what he had said earlier. _He really meant it, huh… He looks really cute when he's sleeping… Wait, what? _She blushed even more and looked away as he started to stir.

"Good morning," she said shyly. "Mmm, morning," he replied groggily, "How did you sleep?" "Very well," She replied, embarrassed. _He must think pretty lowly of me right now. Falling asleep like that…_ "I'm glad," he smiled, bringing her back to reality. "How do you feel? You know, here," he pointed toward her bandages so she would understand. "I feel a lot better, actually. It just hurts when I put pressure on it or move around too much…" "Wow, you sure are making a quick recovery," Kid said optimistically. "Yeah, I can't wait 'til I'm out of the hospital and can do missions again." "We can do them together, right?" he questioned seriously. "Of course!" Maka replied, not knowing how much it meant to him.

"Are you hungry?" Kid asked, concerned. "A bit," Maka responded honestly. "All right, I'll go get you something!" He pulled himself up and walked toward the door. "You really don't have to…" She stated, not wanting him to leave. "I want to though, you need to have energy to recover," he replied while leaving.

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><p><em>Should I apologize? If I made her upset that'd be really uncool… <em>Soul was in his and Maka's apartment, making himself breakfast, a bit reluctantly. _Even if I went, what would I say? _He stopped stirring the pancake mix. _I love her… I think. That's the only explanation, right? But, if I confessed that wouldn't be cool. I should just wait for her to confess to me then. _He put the mix onto a pan. _But then the shinigami might make a move… So complicated. _He watched the pancake mix harden into a solid pancake. _What should I do? I'll just wait for her to get better; there's no way in hell I'm going to apologize and confess in the same year. I'd never hear the end of it. If the shinigami tries to do anything with her I'll personally make sure he never walks again. Cool. _Then, a loud sizzling noise drove him out of his thoughts. "No! The pancakes!" They were charcoal black. "Damn It!"

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><p>"Back!" Kid walked into Maka's room with a tray of food. "What is that?" she marveled. "I got you a couple of pancakes, eggs, and milk. Do you dislike anything?" He asked, concerned. "No! I was just wondering… I just usually make breakfast, which isn't grand, and when Soul cooks it always turns into charcoal…" she explained in a rush. "This isn't anything special," he began, "When you get better I'll take you somewhere with great food." He set the tray down and sat on the edge of the bed. "Oh no, I'd be imposing too much." "Maka, remember who you're talking to. Son of Shinigami-sama. There's nothing too expensive for me." <em>Except you… <em>He thought gloomily.

"That's so nice, Kid…" Maka said happily, "Thank you so much!" She hugged him tightly; causing him to blush. "Ah, yeah, you're welcome…" He subconsciously scratched his head. Maka let go as Naigus came into the room. "How do you feel?" Naigus sauntered toward them. "I feel a lot better, it doesn't hurt as much, and I can walk easily now," she replied. "Is that so? It shouldn't be too much longer now, maybe a week. You are a strong girl Maka," Naigus complimented. "That's great!" Maka said gladly. A thought suddenly struck Kid. "I gotta go…Now…" He said, jumping to his feet. "What?" Maka asked, confused. "Liz and Patti are alone at the house…The symmetry!" Kid suddenly ran out of the Nurse's office. "That's Kid for you," Maka chuckled.

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><p><strong>(More Author's Notes: Hmm, I hope this was an okay chapter. Next chapter Maka is going to be recovered. I think we'll see some more of Medusa and her gang too. ;) You'll just have to wait and see! Stay tuned...)<strong>


	7. Confession

**(Author's Notes: Before anyone says anything about Crona's gender, in this story he is a boy. The gender doesn't matter much right now, anyway. Also, right now Crona is still with Medusa, Maka and the others have already seen him when Soul got his scar, but Crona hasn't been to the DWMA yet. Just letting you know the time frame for the chapter so you don't get confused. Onward~)**

"Get over here, now!" Medusa yelled loudly. Eruka, Free, and the Mizune sisters rushed over to where Medusa was waiting angrily. "You didn't finish the job," she said heatedly. Eruka and the Mizune sisters shrunk back fearfully as Free kept his stance, "She's still alive?" "Yes, Free. Since you all couldn't do it I'm sending someone special to take care of it." Eruka and the Mizune sisters noticeably relaxed, which caused Medusa to say, "But you will be punished." Free groaned irritably as the others flinched.

"So who exactly are you sending-geko?" Eruka asked bravely. "Crona, come in." A boy about Maka's age edged in nervously, "Y-Yes Lady Medusa?" Free looked at Crona and started cackling, "What's so great about the shrimp?" Crona retreated a bit, looking a bit scared. "He is the Demon Swordsman, and he will finish the job, no matter what," Medusa shot a glare at Crona that could literally kill. Crona looked at her panicky.

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><p>"Finally!" Maka jumped up and down. She and Kid were walking through the corridors of the school. Maka had just gotten released from the Nurse. Kid chuckled at her, "So you're back to normal?" "Yeah, yeah! See you later, Kid! I gotta go make sure the house is okay," she raced away before Kid could say anything. "She really is back to her old self…" he smirked.<p>

Maka ran into her apartment. What she saw was a disaster. Literally. It looked like a tornado had passed through the house. Instead of happily talking to him about her experiences at the hospital, she, 'sincerely' shouted noisily, "SOUL!" Pushing her way through piles of clothes she barged into his room; causing a loud thump. He must've been asleep on his bed, because he perked up immediately causing some kind of magazine to flutter to the floor.

"Wha," he slurred, apparently still tired. "Soul! What happened to our apartment?" Maka demanded an answer. "Ah, nothin' much…" he replied, lazily rubbing his eye. "Soul, you really are something! I'm going out, and when I get back, this place should be sparkling, got that? SPARKLING!" she yelled in his face and walked out. Soul muttered something about her being 'uncool' but she paid no mind to it. She still had her other friends to see.

Next, Maka decided to see Tsubaki and Black*Star. After all, they were close friends. Walking up to their door, she timidly knocked. She didn't come over often, and hoped it wouldn't be too awkward. The door opened, and Tsubaki peered out curiously. Her face immediately lightened up as she opened the door all of the way and crushed her friend in a hug, "Maka…!" "What's all the ruckus, Tsubaki?" Black*Star asked, sounding as if he had just gotten up. _Soul and Black*Star are definitely cut from the same cloth…Honestly, getting up at this hour…! _Maka thought bitterly. "Maka's here, Black*Star!" Tsubaki said happily.

"Oh? She must've come to see, the great BLACK*STAR!" Black*Star started laughing hysterically. "I just wanted to let you guys know I'm alright," Maka stated, not wanting to listen to Black*Star's ranting too much longer. "Oh no, come in," Tsubaki ushered Maka in. "I'm going out to play basketball with Soul," Black*Star said lazily, already bored with the two girls. "Good luck with that…" Maka uttered inaudibly. "Okay," Tsubaki smiled to her partner as he walked out.

"So is everything alright?" Tsubaki asked. "Huh? Everything's going great," Maka answered, not really understanding the question. "You know, do you feel odd at times?" Tsubaki inquired knowingly. _I have been feeling weird around Kid... Maybe Tsubaki knows why? _"Well, there is this one time…" Maka started. Tsubaki looked at her friend encouragingly. "When I'm with Kid, I get this fluttery feeling. And when he touches me, my face gets hot. I also get nervous," she replied. Tsubaki nodded understandingly. "Do you know what it means?" Maka asked hopefully. "Yes, the only explanation would be that you like Kid!" Tsubaki cheered.

"What?" Maka looked at her, confused. "You like Kid!" Tsubaki squealed with excitement. "What does that mean? What do I do?" Maka was clearly clueless when it came to this kind of thing. "You've got to tell him. I'm sure he feels the same way about you," Tsubaki advised. "Erm, so I just say, 'I like you', right? That's so embarrassing…" Maka said. "Yes, it's never easy. But, you won't get any further in your relationship if you don't. Plus, he might be taken away from right under your nose. How does it feel if you think about him eloping with a German girl?" Tsubaki questioned. "Woah, he wouldn't do that!" "But, how does it make you feel?" Tsubaki pressed on. "…It makes me mad…" Maka admitted. "So, you must confess your feelings to him as soon as possible." "Alright, I trust you Tsubaki…" Maka hugged her friend. "Don't worry Maka; I'll be here for you just in case."

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><p><em>Okay, I'll just say, I like you. That's it. Yeah. Perfect. <em>Maka was standing in front of the Gallows Mansion where she knew Kid was. It seemed she was stalling the inevitable. If she didn't do it, she'd never hear the end of it from Tsubaki. _I can do this…! _She knocked on the door cautiously. Two seconds later, a friendly face appeared. "Hey Maka!" It was Liz. "Hey… Do you think you could send Kid out?" Maka had a slight pink tinge to her cheeks. Liz chuckled perceptively, "Of course, he'll be out in a minute." She disappeared, and the door was left ajar. Maka shuffled her feet nervously. After what seemed like forever, Kid emerged from the house.

"Hi Maka, did you need something?" Kid asked a bit concerned. He was wearing his normal suit, completely symmetrical, except for the Sanzu Lines that were in his hair. "Yeah, I wanted to tell you something…" she was already blushing furiously. _Tsubaki better be right about this, _Maka thought. Kid waited for her, looking at her almost a bit hopefully. "Well, I just wanted to say that… Erm. How to put this…? I'll just come out and say it," Maka began, closing her eyes to make it easier, "I think I like you, Kid."

Kid froze. He had forgotten how to speak. _Did she say what I think she said? Am I dreaming? _Maka looked up to him. Just by looking at her you could tell that whatever Kid said would either make her day or break her heart. He managed to say, "Are you serious?" It came out a bit hoarse, causing Maka to withdraw a bit, "Y-Yes." He wrapped his arms around her just as she finished answering. "Maka, you have no idea how long I've been waiting for this moment," he said sweetly, "I like you too." _That's not true. You know that you love her,_ Kid's inner thoughts mocked. "Maka… You're not kidding right? I won't wake up and have it all be a dream?" Kid pulled away to look her in the eyes, searching for reassurance. "I wouldn't do that to you Kid. I'm positive that this is not a dream." Maka answered cutely with a smile. _I really do love this girl._

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><p><strong>(More Author's Notes: So, I hope you liked this part and I hope it wasn't too confusing. Nice to see Maka confess, ne? Looks like Crona's entering the story, too. Stay tuned~!) <strong>


	8. Date

**(Author's Notes: So, here's a cute KidXMaka chapter. Not much to say. Sorry for SoulXMaka supporters, obviously there won't be any more SoulXMaka in this fic. Again, sorry ^.^")**

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><p>"So, where are we going Kid?" Maka inquired. They were walking hand in hand. "Remember? I promised to take you to a nice, fancy place to eat," Kid explained. "Oh okay," Maka began, "You're the greatest," she kissed his left cheek. He stopped walking, and looked pretty upset. "Huh? O-Oh," she moved over and kissed his other cheek too. She looked at him and smirked, Kid figured she expected him to blush. He smiled, seemingly satisfied, "Thanks beautiful." Maka didn't expect it, and ended up blushing and looked away instead. Kid laughed a bit, and then pointed out, "There it is."<p>

Maka read the lettering of the restaurant. It was called The Death Diner. They walked inside the extravagant place. Its' chandeliers dangled from high above; giving the room a nice glow. There were individual candles on each table, and there were couples everywhere, giving the restaurant a romantic atmosphere. Everyone in the room was wearing beautiful dresses or lovely tuxedos. The waiters and waitresses had a fancy French accent. It was an understatement to say that it looked expensive. After Maka saw all these gorgeous people, she glanced at herself. She was wearing an average red knee-length dress. She wasn't expecting to go here today, so she dressed somewhat casually, with a bit of the 'going-on-a-date look.'

As Kid asked the waiter for a table, Maka felt as if all eyes were watching her. She could also hear a bit of nasty remarks, "_What an ugly dress….!" _ Somewhat disheartened she looked at the floor. She already knew this place was far too fancy for someone like her, but this was a bit much… Suddenly, Kid grabbed Maka's hand and followed the waiter, mumbling something Maka couldn't hear. Realizing that the _commoner girl _was with the _high-class shinigami, _everyone shut up immediately. They already had their menus placed on their tables, so they began browsing it. Maka scanned over the pages, occasionally glancing over at the entrée list. Maka didn't have much luck, because all the names were difficult to read and she didn't know any of them. Kid told the waiter what he wanted from the menu. The waiter glanced at Maka and asked, "And what would you like Miss?" Maka panicked a bit, but responded quite calmly, "I'll have what Kid's getting." "Alright, it will be done soon."

Maka watched the waiter walk away until he had disappeared into the kitchen. She looked over at Kid, just realizing that he was staring at her, his head resting on the palm of his hand. "What? Is there something on me?" Maka asked fearfully. "No, just wondering how I got such a pretty girl like you to go on a date with me," Kid responded absent-mindedly. `"I really am not good-looking at all," she said sheepishly. "What? Maka, you are the most gorgeous woman I have ever seen," he replied enthusiastically, "Don't listen to what Soul says!" _They don't know that we're going out now… _Maka thought.

"…"

"What's wrong?" Kid inquired after her silence. "You called me a girl at first, and then you said _woman._" Maka looked at him oddly. He watched her as well, trying to find an answer suitable enough, "Uh, look, our food's here," he changed the subject. _You know why you called her a woman. Because that's what you see her as. You have feelings that she has yet to discover, and you know that. Baka. _Kid's inner thoughts ridiculed. "Two spaghetti entrées with oregano and high quality garlic bread for the cute couple. _Enjoy," _the waiter winked at Maka causing Kid to glare evilly at him. If you were at the restaurant, you could feel a deathly aura coming from the shinigami, everyone shuddered. The waiter, seeing that Kid was angry at him, well, take that back. _Extremely _angry at him, he retreated into the kitchen, quite quickly at that.

The food was delicious. Maka had sparkles in her eyes during the entire meal. Kid enjoyed watching Maka eat. He liked the way her lips moved as she chewed on some spaghetti, the way her tongue came out occasionally to lick the sauce, the way she lightly drank her drink. Hey, truth be told, he liked everything Maka did.

They finished at about the same time, and started conversing about pointless things, such as soul wavelengths. After a brief discussion, they (Kid) paid for the check, and strolled out of the restaurant. They walked in silence for a while. It wasn't an awkward silence, it was just a comfortable silence that they both enjoyed. At one point, Maka insisted that she walked home herself and that she was strong enough, but Kid rejected the idea immediately, persisting that it was 'dangerous at night.' It was 9:25 P.M., and Maka decided after Kid's reasoning that it was okay. They continued their walk, until they were beside Maka and Soul's apartment. "Thanks so much for the food, Kid," Maka thanked graciously. Kid was going to say something, but found himself looking longingly at her lips. It was quiet for a moment, before both teens found themselves leaning in, only an inch apart.

Kid initiated. It was their first actual kiss. Kid wrapped his arms around her, pulling them closer. After a while, he rubbed his tongue against her lips, requesting for more. (A/N: Hope you understand this part, I'm not good at writing kiss scenes.) Maka accepted, and opened her mouth for him. Kid explored the inside of her mouth quite a bit, until Maka pushed back. They had a tongue-fight, Kid inevitably winning. They continued for a while, before Maka broke it. She pulled away, gasping for air. Kid did the same thing, but he wasn't in need for as much air as Maka. As her breath started to get back to normal, he gave her a quick peck on the lips, smiled, and said, "See you tomorrow…"

Maka blushed as Kid left. Did he really just do that? _We just kissed… We made out… That was so…I enjoyed it… Hehe. _She smiled as she walked into her apartment to come face to face with a very angry Soul. Her smirk immediately disappeared. His arms were wrapped around his chest. "What was that Maka? While I finished cleaning, you went out to fool around with the shinigami?" Maka blew it. Soul saw what had just happened, and the secret she shared with Kid was gone. She felt a throb of pain in her chest. "S-Soul, I…" She couldn't find the words to continue. "You what? Couldn't tell me, your own partner, that you were in love with Kid?" He shouted thunderously, causing Maka to withdraw a bit.

"Soul, I like him okay? I really like him!" Maka tried to fight back Soul's intimidation. Soul suddenly slapped her with enough force to cause her to fall to the ground. She clutched her cheek desperately. Soul rapidly got his self-control back and leaned down to her, "Oh god, Maka… I'm so sorry... I just got so mad… Please don't tell anyone," he pleaded. Apparently, Maka still had some feelings for him, because she forgave him, despite the throbbing pain in both her heart and her cheek.

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><p><strong>(More Author's Notes: Hmm... Cute date, huh? At least I hope so O.O Sorry if you really like Soul, he just seems like the type that would lose his temper easily, you know? Especially when it comes to Maka... Anyway, there will be more Chrona in the next chapter!) <strong>


	9. Blood

**(Author's Notes: Here's Chapter 9... It's probably the longest chapter and the most dramatic. Thanks for all the great reviews, it's what's keeping me writing! Hope you enjoy this chapter...! **

**To the anonymous review from Chapter 8: That'd be cool, and thanks for the awesome review, I'd like to see it when you're finished~!)**

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><p>Two days later…<p>

Maka woke up; it was time to go to the DWMA. She wandered toward the bathroom to freshen up, and froze when she looked into the mirror. She still had a black and blue bruise over her cheek from Soul. _How am I going to hide this? _Maka thought anxiously, _I can't just skip! Grades are important…_ _I guess I'll just have to come up with an excuse._ She walked over to Soul's bedroom and knocked on the door, "Soul! Wake up, it's time to go!" "I'm already up, Maka," Soul chuckled behind her. Maka turned around to see a fully dressed Soul. "Wow, so unlike you," she laughed. "What're you going to do about that," he pointed to the bruise, acting like what happened the other day didn't occur.

"I'm going to say that I fell down the stairs," Maka replied, a bit annoyed. "Really, sorry about that. I know it wasn't cool," Soul said apologetically. "It's okay, let's go."

As Soul and Maka finished the trek up the Academy's stairs, they saw all of their friends waiting for them. They had genuine smiles that disappeared when they saw Maka's face. Patti stared at her wide-eyed. "Are you okay Maka!" Tsubaki worried about her friend. "What happened there?" Liz asked, pointing accurately to Maka's cheek. "That's a nice one," Black*Star laughed. "It's nothing, I just fell down the stairs and landed on my face," Maka tried to lied, not really sounding convincing as she glowered at Black*Star. Soul glared at Kid before Maka started coughing roughly. Soul snapped over to see if she was okay, but was beaten by Kid, "Are you alright?" After a moment, she wiped the side of her mouth with her glove and replied, "I'm fine, just a cough is all."

They walked into their class as Black*Star yelled the usual 'I am the greatest of them all' speech. Instead of listening to Black*Star's ranting, everyone gawked at Maka, starting ridiculous rumors. _"She must've defeated hundreds of Kishin eggs and then attacked a witch…!" _One whispered. "_Yeah, yeah!" _ A second agreed. Maka didn't seem to be listening, because she walked straight to her seat, ready for another of Stein's experiments. Sure enough, Stein wheeled in and fell on the floor; the usual. He got up and said rather enthusiastically, "Everyone ready for a dissection?" he smiled evilly. "Ugh," Liz groaned. "Aw, come on! So uncool," Soul complained.

After class, Maka ventured down the stairs of the DWMA alone. She was determined to get home before Soul did; she had lied to him saying that she was going to the library to study. She wanted to take a peaceful walk to sort things out in her head. It was overwhelming to think about her and Kid's relationship along with her and Soul's. It was confusing, the bonds with both boys was very important and strong.

She continued her walk through a forest path, coughing a bit more. _Why do I keep coughing? Am I sick? _Indeed, her middle was burning a bit. _I'll be fine. _She decided, sauntering past a woman that was wearing a trench coat. "Stay strong," she spoke somewhat sweetly, "No matter what." The woman's voice strangely resembled her mother's, causing Maka to swiftly check. By the time she looked in her direction, she had disappeared, giving Maka an empty feeling; she realized that she was alone here. _All alone… Like always…_

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><p>"I don't know how to deal with this," Chrona said fearfully. He was behind some bushes that were beside the trail Maka was walking on. "Just get it over with, idiot!" Ragnarok yelled; hitting Chrona's head. "Ow, ow, ow! Cut it out..!" Chrona said bravely. "Shut up and kill the girl, or we'll both get punished, you!" Ragnarok stated angrily. "A-Alright," he stuttered, Ragnarok changing into his weapon form. As soon as he heard footsteps, Chrona jumped onto the trail. Maka definitely was there; and she perked up gloomily; and as soon as she saw who it was, she said angrily, "You again…!"<p>

Despite his boldness, Chrona cowered back a bit, but after Ragnarok's bullying, he unleashed a Screech Alpha toward Maka. She easily dodged into the air, but wasn't sure what to do next without her weapon partner. Maka lunged toward Chrona and punched him a bunch of times in the stomach after landing. She knew it had hurt him, but could tell that the black blood had hardened before impact. He started to swing Ragnarok upward, but Maka jumped back before he got a chance to cause any damage. She was about to punch him again, when her chest started burning. She coughed more, one hand over her mouth and the other on her stomach.

Chrona took this opportunity to swing Ragnarok again, this time making contact. Granted, it wasn't the contact he was expecting. "Are you okay Liz?" A familiar voice asked. Maka looked up after finishing her cough to see Kid blocking the attack with a twin pistol. Maka was still on all fours, watching Chrona's expression change, "I don't know how to deal with this..." Liz uttered, "I'm alright Kid." Maka forced herself up and kicked Chrona away, yelling, "No! Not again…!"

Chrona stumbled backwards from the force of the attack and then cut himself with Ragnarok. He swung his arm at Maka and said, "Bloody Slicer!" The black blood came toward her, hardening so it would be able to cut her easily. Before Maka could try to dodge, Kid had summoned Beelzebub and grabbed her swiftly. He kicked off before Chrona's attack got to them, and was headed back to Death City. Chrona stood there for a moment, not sure what to do.

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><p>"What are you doing?" Maka inquired unhappily, struggling from Kid's grip. He didn't respond at all, just tightening his grip. Beelzebub made quick time, and they were already in Death City. Kid set Maka down as Liz and Patti transformed back into their human forms. "What were you thinking?" Kid asked angrily, "You could've been killed…!" Maka shuddered a bit from the pure anger in his voice before replying, "I was just taking a walk! I could've taken care of it myself!" She said more to herself than anything else.<p>

Liz and Patti looked at Maka solemnly, surely siding with Kid. "How did you find me, anyway?" Maka demanded. "After you got that bruise and left all of a sudden, we decided to follow you to make sure you were okay," Kid replied, still shaking from the anger. "It's none of your business, okay? None of your b—"She started coughing again and put a hand up to cover her mouth as she did so. "Maka…?" After a moment, she removed her hand to see blood covering it. She looked away from her trembling hand to Kid, who didn't look very angry anymore; instead looking very worried.

Kid saw blood dribbling down her face, and moved toward her. Before he could do anything, she turned and ran faster than he had ever seen her. "Maka!" Liz shouted as she and her sister moved toward her. Patti frowned as Liz said, "Oh my god…! Was that blood? What are we going to do?" Liz was moving around frantically. Kid suddenly sprinted; the Thompson sisters following as quickly as they could.

He stopped at Maka's apartment and knocked loudly. Soul answered the door gruffly, looking surprised to see Kid there. "Where's Maka?" Soul looked at him dumbfounded after hearing the urgency in his voice, "Huh? She said she went to study at the library, last time I heard," he replied. Just as the Thompson sisters caught up and started regaining their breath, Kid turned and dashed away. Soul asked Liz, "What the _hell_ is going on?" "No time to explain..." Liz gasped as she and Patti followed Kid again.

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><p>Maka didn't know where she was going. She just felt like she had to run. Run far away. She couldn't stay there, not after that. <em>What's happening to me? <em>She heard her footsteps clearly. The people on the streets eyed her oddly, seeing the bruise and the blood staining her face. Despite everything around her, all she could see was blackness and the voices were a blur.

Her chest was burning; it felt as if it were on fire along with her feet. Her head ached with unanswered questions and her eyes felt wet. Regardless of her body's complaints, she couldn't stop herself. _Was that really Mom? _She continued running. _It couldn't have been… _Blood dripped from her face. In her stupor, she passed Chrona quickly.

He saw her run straight past him, and wasn't able to attack fast enough. Chrona watched her sprint by wide-eyed. "Stupid!" Ragnarok cursed; hitting him on the head. "I didn't know what to do…" Chrona explained.

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><p>"Hey, Tsubaki, let's go on that mission," Black*Star said, pointing at the paper. Tsubaki looked at him worriedly, "It seems a bit difficult though…!" Black*Star replied, "But, we<em> are <em>the strongest at the Academy, and she'll probably come after Maka again if we don't," he clarified. "But Black*Star…" "Tsubaki, I want to help my friend. Okay? I can't be a god if I don't help my friends," he stated. "Alright," she smiled weakly at him as Black*Star grabbed the flyer. "Let's get ready for it, then."

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><p><strong>(More Author's Notes: What did you think? I hope you're wondering why she's coughing up blood, ne? Stay tuned~!) <strong>


	10. Medusa's End

**(Author's Notes: Only a couple more chapters left until the story is over... :( Well, about this chapter, there's quite a bit of Black*Star and Tsubaki fighting so I hope you enjoy the extra Black*Star... )**

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><p>Kid stopped running for a moment. <em>I should've tried soul perception…! <em>He looked around again, and after seeing the direction that her soul was, he ran again; Liz and Patti evidently following. _She's not that far… I can get to her, but she sure is running fast… _

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><p>"So this is where that witch has been hiding," Black*Star stated. "Yes," Tsubaki replied sweetly. There was a cave in front of them. "After all that training, we should be able to <em>destroy <em>them," Black*Star smirked as Tsubaki transformed into her Ninja Sword mode. "That's right," she responded. Black*Star strolled into the cave quietly, dissolving into the shadows like the assassin he was.

Black*Star crawled up the cavern walls to avoid being seen below. He was completely silent, and was overlooking Medusa and Free talking. _I can take care of them first… _ He moved over so he was entirely over them. He waited for an opening, listening in on their conversation. "—could've done it!"

"You couldn't have. Idiot," came the reply. "I know I did something! Her—must be completely wrecked!" Free bellowed. "Go away," Medusa ordered. Free grumbled and started walking away, giving Black*Star the opportunity he wanted. He leapt down; landing on Free's back, pushed off and was standing next to Medusa, ready to attack. The force of his kick on Free's back caused him to fall onto the floor face first. After he landed on the floor, he changed into his werewolf form. "How did you get in here?" Medusa inquired, obviously surprised.

"An assassin can hide in the shadows and erase his breath," Black*Star replied as he swung Tsubaki horizontally toward Medusa. She jumped back, and created an arrow under Black*Star, pushing him swiftly back toward Free; who was trying to get up. Black*Star back-flipped onto Free to stop himself from flying to the wall, and Free was pushed back onto the floor. He grumbled in annoyance as he pulled himself up quickly sending Black*Star flying back to Medusa.

Medusa was sending arrows that were bent on puncturing through Black*Star, but he threw Tsubaki straight through them as he was in mid-air. Medusa couldn't react in time, and the sword pierced through the witch. Black*Star landed swiftly on the ground and went to recover Tsubaki as Free grabbed him from behind.

Free put Black*Star into a choke hold. "T-Tsubaki, Shuriken mode," he managed to say. Tsubaki rapidly changed into the desired mode and reappeared in Black*Star's grip. He swiftly lifted the star over his shoulder; obviously hitting Free with its' blades. "Agh," Free stumbled back; clutching his eye where Tsubaki had cut him. Medusa was holding the spot that Black*Star had stabbed, about to attack him. Black*Star took note, and threw Tsubaki to the witch. She couldn't move because of the wound, and braced herself as the large Shuriken cut her in half. Blood came out of her mouth as her upper and lower body fell limp onto the floor.

"You little bastard!" Free yelled as he staggered toward Black*Star's back rather quickly. Tsubaki was already coming back like a boomerang, so Black*Star shouted, "Tsubaki, smoke bomb!" Just as Tsubaki came whirling right before Black*Star, a huge explosion of smoke occurred. Free faltered in his step, unable to see where the brat had gone.

When the smoke cleared, Free saw two Black*Stars. "What the hell?" One Black*Star ran to the left as the other ran to the right. They circled Free, causing him to get very confused, "H-huh…" He fell to the floor; his head spinning. "Geko!" Eruka said frighteningly at the opening of the cave. The Mizune sisters came behind her after hearing her scared pitch; only to become afraid as well. Both Black*Star's turned toward where the voice came from; and snickered. One jumped into the air over them as the other sprinted straight toward them. Eruka summoned some frog bombs and threw them at the Black*Star that was running on the ground, causing a large amount of smoke to engulf everything.

Now, Black*Star came out of the smoke, still running and holding a chain scythe that was Tsubaki. Frightened, the Mizune sisters transformed into their mouse forms and ran away; leaving Eruka stunned. Instead of hitting her with Tsubaki, he shot her with his soul wavelength as he punched her in the stomach. She flew at least five miles out into the desert after the impact. "Good job, Black*Star!" Tsubaki complimented. "We're not done yet," he replied as he pulled out some explosives that were in his pocket. "We're going to blast this cave so no one else will use it, and so we'll hopefully trap this guy for a while."

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><p>Maka could barely feel anything anymore. Her running had yet to cease, and she was well into the desert. She wanted comfort… No, she <em>needed<em> comfort. Her body ached all over in exhaustion to the point of passing out. Her chest hurt terribly, forcing her to stop. She coughed loudly and blood came out; staining the sand. She stayed there for a while, coughing. Finally, she was about to keep going when a strong pair of arms wrapped themselves around her; stopping her movement. "Let go!" She struggled, sounding very hoarse.

"Calm down Maka," he said soothingly. It was Kid. "I'm here for you, you're not alone," he pacified, "Remember when I gave you that mirror? That was a sign of our friendship and my love for you." Maka slowly started calming down; still taking large gulps of air. "Do you understand? I love you, Maka Albarn. I'd do anything for you," He turned her around so they were face-to-face. Her eyes were puffy and the bruise evident. The blood that was completely covering her mouth and chin was still a bit wet; letting Kid know that she didn't just cough blood up that one time. Her legs were shaking a bit from weakness and the heat of the sun. Liz and Patti had caught up at this point and were within earshot. They were gasping for air desperately.

"What's happened to you…"Kid wiped a stray tear from her face gently, "We need to get you to the hospital," He turned around as if to lead her back to Death City, but she grabbed his sleeve. "Please Kid, please don't tell anyone," Kid looked back at her to make sure it was her speaking and if she were serious. She looked really desperate, "I'll be fine…" His heart tightened, he wasn't sure what to do. What if it was a serious disease or something? He clenched his teeth; not really wanting to agree. "Alright…" He gave in, unable to say no to her. He decided that it probably wasn't anything too serious, and if she was pleading to him like this… She smiled and said, "Thank you, thank you…" Kid glanced at Liz and Patti, giving them the 'You-better-not-tell-anyone' look as they returned a disapproving expression.

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><p>Chrona strolled back to where Medusa's hideout was, preparing himself for the worst. What he wasn't expecting was to see it blown up and a certain assassin standing there. Hearing footsteps, Black*Star and Tsubaki turned to see who it was. "W-Where's Medusa…?" Chrona asked nervously. "Long gone," Black*Star replied nonchalantly. Chrona gulped and then said, "What did you do to her?" Black*Star looked back at him and responded, "Cut her in half, now, you're starting to bug me. You're free now so you don't gotta listen to the witch if you were her slave," he stated. "I don't know how to deal with this…," Chrona shivered. "What are you talking about?" Black*Star inquired angrily. "You could go to Death City with us; it's the best place for safety, if that's what you'd like. And, you can meet all of our friends, as long as it's okay with Shinigami-sama," Tsubaki said sweetly. "R-Really?" Chrona asked. "Idiot!" Ragnarok popped out and started hitting Chrona. "Ow, ow, ow! Why do you always do this? Stop it, Ragnarok!" He pleaded bravely. "I'll do whatever I want, pansy!"<p>

Black*Star and Tsubaki looked at the two oddly. "What are you looking at, ugly?" Ragnarok asked rudely toward Tsubaki. She stumbled back, evidently hurt by the phrase 'ugly'. "Quit it Ragnarok! She was being nice to us," Chrona demanded. "Don't call Tsubaki 'ugly' in GOD's presence," Black*Star said irritatedly. "Yeah? Whatever," Ragnarok disappeared after saying, "Chrona, just don't go and get yourself killed, 'cause if you die, I die too!"

"I-I'm sorry," Chrona apologized to the couple. "It's alright," Tsubaki insisted. "Rude guy… Let's go Tsubaki. You can follow along, if you like," Black*Star said. "Uh, Y-Yes," Chrona replied.

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><p><strong>(More Author's Notes: Soo, Black*Star just eliminated Medusa's gang, and Kid found Maka. Looks like Chrona is going to Death City, too. Sorry that most of this chapter was Black*Star fighting, but it had to be put. Like I said earlier, this story is almost over. Stay tuned~)<strong>


	11. Sacred Apology

**(Author's Notes: One more chapter after this. Thanks to everyone who read up to this point and for the really awesome reviews ^.^) **

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><p>Maka woke up the next day feeling terrible. Her head felt like she had hit it against the wall constantly. Her eyes were pink and puffy while her chest and throat still felt like they were on fire. Luckily, the bruise on her face was finally starting to go away. Also, her feet ached; obviously in need of more rest. Nonetheless, she couldn't skip a single day with her grades and attendance record. Besides, she was a very strong and brave person, so of <em>course <em>she could get through this. Her body protested as she got ready for the day; but she ignored it.

Yesterday, when Maka had gotten home, Soul questioned her on just about everything. She told him that she'd wanted to get some fresh air so she had taken a walk. After that, she said that the Demon Swordsman, Chrona, had come and attacked her. Maka added that Kid came and saved her, and lied about what happened afterward. She told Soul that after the fight she had chased after Chrona and left Kid there. As for the desperate look on Kid's face, she told him that it was probably because she was going after the Demon Swordsman without a weapon.

Maka was just finishing a few last touches as a shining glint on her dresser caught her attention. "Hm?" She turned to face it, and smiled. The mirror that Kid had given her was reflecting sunlight through the blinds. "Maybe I should call Kid?" On that note, she strolled over to it and picked it up; despite the pain. As she did the chant, she waited patiently for Kid to answer. It didn't come. Minutes passed and Maka decided he probably wasn't around to see it. She couldn't help the nagging in the back of her mind saying, _He does have a pocket mirror, you know! _

As Soul and Maka made their way to classes together, Maka fought the urge to cough; not wanting to have blood come out like the other day. _Why didn't Kid pick up this morning? _She pondered. "So you love him, huh?" Soul asked. Maka glanced at him to make sure that was him speaking and didn't respond. "I've been thinkin' about it and even if it makes me mad and jealous I don't want to make you unhappy… That'd be uncool, so, what I'm trying to say is… As long as you're happy, I'm alright," he smiled uncertainly. Processing what he had just said, Maka replied, "Thank you Soul!" She hugged him one last time. "Yeah," the slightest blush came across his face, but disappeared just as quickly as it had come.

They walked into their class and toward their seats. As soon as Maka saw Kid, she had decided to go talk to him. She ventured to where he sat and said, "Hello Kid." He replied somewhat coldly, not looking up from his book, "Hello Maka." She started feeling kind of nervous and stated, "I tried calling you this morning." Only after she had said this did she realize how sad and pathetic she sounded. "Is that so, I must've been busy," he responded casually, still not looking up from his book, "If you don't mind, I'll be getting back to my reading." "O-Of course," Maka obliged, moving back to where she usually sat. _He seemed like he was ignoring me… Or acting rather distant. _No one seemed to notice that Black*Star and Tsubaki were not present.

Obviously at some point Stein had come into the classroom, because he was threatening people with dissections to get back to their seats as Maka made her way back. Everyone started zoning out of Stein's boring lecture right after he had cleared his throat; preparing themselves for what they knew was about to happen. Maka did her best to pay attention, but even she had her limits. Plus, her aching chest was egging her on. At one point, it was really hurting, so she coughed; momentarily interrupting Stein. He didn't say anything, obviously noting that she didn't do it on purpose and continued. A few minutes later, she coughed again; much more hoarse this time. "Are you okay?" Stein inquired, suddenly noticing how weak her soul looked at the moment. Soul glanced at his partner worriedly as everyone else in class stared. "Yeah, I'm…" She suddenly felt very dizzy, and the pain in her chest came back with a vengeance. She coughed again, more blood than last time came up. Everyone looked over at her wide-eyed, not sure what to do. Apparently it wasn't over, and she coughed again, more blood coming up. Maka then passed out. "Maka!" Soul and Kid shouted in unusual unison.

"Everyone, calm down," Stein said as he quickly sprinted up the stairs to check on the unconscious girl. He picked her up and said to the rest of the students, "Study on something else while I'm gone." "Let me go! I'm her partner…" Soul implored restlessly. "Me too, we're close friends," Kid begged as Patti and Liz looked at him urgently. "Alright, alright, only the ones on her team; hurry up." Stein and the others practically ran to the Nurse's Office, the closest place for treatment. No one spoke; everyone was just hoping that she'd be alright.

"Naigus, trouble," Stein said into the Nurse's Office. "What's wrong?" Naigus inquired as her eyes immediately locked onto Maka. Just by looking at her, Naigus decided, "She needs to go to the hospital, _right now_."

Everyone rushed through the hospital doors and Kid practically shouted, "We need help right away!" Doctors instantly grabbed Maka and took her into the emergency room, followed by Stein and Naigus (since they're also doctors.) The nurses had to force the others to stay in the waiting room since Soul and Kid insisted on going with Maka. Once they realized that it was hopeless to get in there, they sat down, depressed. They were all in deep thoughts, mostly blaming themselves for what happened. Thinking things like, _Maybe, if I had said something Maka would be okay… I shouldn't have promised… _As for Soul, he was wondering why the hell this was happening to her and if it was his fault.

Not coming up with anything, Soul glanced at the other's faces in the room. They all seemed to have guilty expressions, and Soul wasn't pleased. "What the _hell _are you hiding from me? How did this happen?" Liz and Patti shuffled their feet in remorse as Kid avoided look Soul in the eyes. "It's happened before," Kid began, "Yesterday, after we left the Demon Swordsman, Maka coughed blood up… She made us promise not to say anything… So…" Kid didn't continue, not wanting to think about it anymore.

"Are you serious? You should've said something…" Soul looked very disturbed. "I know, okay?" Kid stated irritably as he covered his face with his hands. Soul sighed, and then said, "If she makes it out of this okay, you better be good to her. Or else I won't be happy." Just as Kid was about to reply, Shinigami-sama came into the waiting room. "What are you doing here Shinigami-sama?" Liz inquired, looking very distressed. "As soon as I heard about what had happened, I hurried over immediately," He replied. "Oh…" Liz responded. Patti was being uncharacteristically quiet as Kid was still looking very downcast. "Maka is a strong girl like her mother," Shinigami-sama began, "We know this." "Did you hear from the doctors when you came in here?" Soul asked. "Hmm, I didn't," he responded.

_This is all my fault… I really should've said something. Coughing up blood can't possibly be healthy… I…I didn't stick to my promise…My oath… 'As long as she's safe, I don't care,' huh… A lie. How could I promise not to tell anyone about her internal bleeding? I never thought this would happen… I should've learned from my previous mistakes… Damn it! I'll never learn… Maka… Please forgive me… _

The door opened, and the doctor walked in holding a clipboard. He seemed to be holding it tighter than necessary and had a grim expression, "I'm sorry…"

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><p><strong>(More Author's Notes: I'm sooo sorry for leaving it like this... But, you'll get an explanation next chapter, I promise~! Thanks to all the great reviews~) <strong>


	12. Safety First

**(Author's Notes: Thanks for the reviews~ Here's the final chapter of the story. Enjoy!)**

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><p>"W-What?" Kid's heart dropped. Everyone looked up terrified. "We did everything we could," the doctor stated. "What was wrong with her? Tell us something!" Soul demanded angrily. Stein and Naigus came through the same doors the doctor came through earlier, both with grim expressions. "She never fully recovered…" Naigus said sadly. After seeing everyone's clueless appearance, Stein explained, "Remember when Maka was attacked by Free and where she was hurt? Her bones didn't mend together quite right," Stein glanced meaningfully at the doctor; signaling him to continue.<p>

"To be exact, Miss Albarn's rib bones were partially fractured and were cutting into her internal organs. Her heart had to pump more blood which ended up leaking out of her systems; causing chest pains. We took a blood sample and it seems she had a bit of black blood in her. When she coughed some of the black blood caused swelling to occur in her throat; it must've hurt quite a bit. Normally this injury wouldn't be fatal, but without treatment… She must've been dealing with this for weeks and might have been denying it." The doctor explained.

"I'm sorry for your loss, you may see her if you like," the doctor motioned toward the door. Kid couldn't talk; he was afraid. He didn't want to believe it. He was feeling many different feelings. Nonetheless, he got up slowly and walked to the doctor quietly; followed by the others. Liz and Patti were crying as Soul looked as if he had just lost everything. The doctor watched them sympathetically, and then led them through the hospital. Shinigami-sama was trailing behind everyone else.

As they continued to wherever Maka was, a couple of friendly faces appeared around the corner. "I heard Maka was taken to the hospital, how is she?" Black*Star skidded as he turned the corner after noticing his friends. Tsubaki was following behind him. No one answered him, and from the depressed looks on their faces Black*Star's confident smile faded as Tsubaki had an expression of horror. Finally, Soul said, "She didn't make it." Tsubaki started crying as Black*Star, for once in his life, had nothing to say and looked extremely worried. The doctor repeated, "I'm sorry for your loss, you may come see your friend, too." The doctor led the way as everyone silently came behind."You can come too," Shinigami-sama said. Chrona suddenly jumped, "Ah, y-yes..."

After about five minutes, they walked through the final doors. Light flooded through the now opened double doors. They all crowded around the bundle on the bed that was covered with sheets. Kid was closest to the head of the bed so he hesitantly grabbed the sheet and pulled it back to show her face. He had been holding in all his feelings so he wouldn't seem so pathetic. He now had a look of terror as if the thought had finally hit him. Maka was dead. Gone forever. Shinigami-sama put his large hand on his son's shoulder and said knowingly, "It's not your fault. I'm sorry that you had to see this Kiddo…"

Maka's eyes were completely open but she looked restless. The usual cheerful look in them was replaced with emptiness and the green seemed faded. There was still a bit of blood trickling from her mouth that was slightly open. Kid lifted the sheet more and more until it was resting around her waist. Her throat and chest seemed 'swelled' as the doctor had put it. Thinking about what else the doctor had said, Kid tentatively brushed his fingers across her abdomen. He indeed felt bones in places they needn't be. "I'll leave you alone," the doctor thought aloud as he strolled out. Kid gripped the fabric on her limp body as if in denial. As a last resort to prove she was alive, he used his soul perception. Bits and pieces of her soul were still attached to her body but were slowly weakening.

Taking this as her still being alive, Kid grabbed her hand and practically shouted, "Maka…! You're there, aren't you? I know you can still hear me, right? Please don't leave me…" Everyone watched him sympathetically and didn't move to stop him or say anything. Her soul looked as if it had understood as a large piece of it drifted away. It was looking at him sadly as tears started coming out of its' tiny eyes. "No… Please don't go…!" He reached toward her soul and grabbed it (gently) experimentally. He pulled it into a protective embrace as his soul was in tears even if he wasn't on the outside.

The others who couldn't see souls were dumbfounded and were about to do something before Stein put his arm to the side; holding them back. He could see the entire ordeal. "Maka…" The remnants of Maka's soul turned into a replica of her body that was embracing him as well. She wasn't crying anymore and seemed ready to move on. "Kid, I'm sorry…" He clutched harder, "No, Maka…Please don't go! I-I want to go on more dates together, and I want to make you mine! I want to be with you forever Maka! I love you…!" He choked out pleadingly. "I have to go. I'm sorry…" She apologized.

"No, Maka…" She started fading; but one could tell that she was trying as hard as she could to delay the process. Soul and Black*Star were trying to make sense of what Kid was saying as the girls were sobbing. Shinigami-sama and Stein watched perceptively. Kid tried to pull Maka closer but this time his hands went through her now transparent body. "Wait…!" "Kid, remember that I love you and that I want you to live life to the fullest. I'll see you later." She faded more and more. Kid pleaded for her to stay but she disappeared and the color in her eyes diminished.

Kid looked away, evidently hurt but still was not crying. Stein and Shinigami-sama could tell he was in great pain and were about to comfort him as he stood abruptly and left the room in a rush. He quickly exited the hospital and was thinking depressively.

_How could this happen… Maka is the strongest person I know and yet… I also promised I'd protect her and see where it got her… Is it because I'm a shinigami that I failed to protect her? Did she not trust me? ….Was I too selfish? Oh Maka… I'm so sorry… How can I go on without you? A shinigami lives a lot longer than regular humans…. I want to see you… It's my fault. I'm sorry. I failed you… _A tear finally slid down his face.

_I should've put your safety first… _

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><p><strong>(More Author's Notes: So, what'd you think of the end? Good, bad, terrible, great? I know it's kinda sad for Kid... but, that's just how it is in the cruel world T~T)<strong>_  
><em>


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